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Rural Health Policy &
Research Center
This is the Rural Health Policy & Research Center Strategic Plan. Additionally, a PDF version of the plan is available. A link to the Adobe Acrobat Reader has been provided in case you are not able to open the PDF documents.
Rural Health Policy & Research Center Plan (PDF Version)
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY – CHS
OKLAHOMA RURAL HEALTH POLICY
& RESEARCH CENTER
Mission
The Mission of the Oklahoma Rural Health Policy & Research Center (the “OSU Rural Health Center”) is to improve rural healthcare delivery in Oklahoma and other rural states through research and healthcare policy development and to better coordinate rural health education and utilization of technology. As a means of achieving our mission, we are involved in four separate activities: Education, Research, Health Policy Development, and Technology.
Vision
The Center’s vision is to become the nation’s leading Rural Health Policy and Research Center.
Core Values
- Excellence – We seek excellence in all our endeavors and we are committed to continuous improvement.
- Intellectual Freedom – We believe in ethical and scholarly questioning in an environment that respects the rights of all to freely pursue knowledge.
- Integrity – We are committed to the principles of truth and honesty and we will be equitable, ethical, and professional.
- Service – We believe that serving others is a noble and worthy endeavor.
- Diversity – We respect others and value diversity of opinions, freedom of expression, and other ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
- Stewardship of Resources – We are dedicated to the efficient and effective use of our resources. We accept the responsibility of the public’s trust and are accountable for our actions.
Goals, Critical Success Factors, Objectives, and Strategies
Goal One. Conduct and disseminate research.
Critical Success Factors:
- Produce at least one research project per year in collaboration with research partners over the next five years
- Hire at least two full-time research faculty with rural research expertise at the OSU Rural Health Center (with appropriate support staff and resources) over the next five years
Objectives:
Objective 1.1: Coordinate research projects with existing rural health researchers throughout the state and nation.
Strategies:
- Integrate research staff at OSU-Stillwater Department of Agricultural Economics into the OSU Rural Health Center for rural health research projects
- Collaborate with Department of Family Medicine, Division of Research and its Rural Health Research Network on research projects
- Collaborate with other rural research centers and rural researchers throughout the nation
Objective 1.2: Expand research faculty at the Center.
Strategies:
- Secure grant and institutional funding to support research faculty at the OSU Rural Health Center for specific research projects
Goal Two. Coordinate Continuing Medical Education (CME) for rural hospitals and providers.
Critical Success Factors:
- Coordinate the delivery of hospital-based CME via the internet, live video, and other media to at least 20 rural hospitals in the state over the next five years
- Collaborate with OKAHEC to support a minimum of 350 community-based CME experiences for 12,500 persons over the next five years
Objectives:
Objective 2.1: Collaborate with partners such as OKAHEC, CareerTech, the Oklahoma Hospital Association, and others to deliver CME to rural hospitals.
Strategies:
- Work with the State Office of Rural Health to assess CME needs of rural hospitals
- Organize meetings among players in CME in the state (e.g., OKAHEC, CareerTech, et. al.) through the Center
- Develop state-of-the-art delivery systems for CME at rural hospitals
- Work with the SORH to develop a CME course for rural hospital administrators
- Work with the SORH to develop a hospital board development series
- Develop funding strategies to support the cost of delivering CME
Goal Three. Deliver interdisciplinary community-based healthcare education.
Critical Success Factors:
- Collaborate with OKAHEC to support 5 interdisciplinary training programs over the next five years
- Expand current activities by at least three more interdisciplinary community-based healthcare training projects in the state over the next five years
Objectives:
Objective 3.1: Expand the number of interdisciplinary community-based healthcare training programs in the state.
Strategies:
- Work with OKAHEC to expand current grant funding for interdisciplinary community-based healthcare training
- Convene a meeting of Advisory Board members interested in interdisciplinary community-based healthcare training to explore new training opportunities in state
Goal Four. Develop a statewide telemedicine network.
Critical Success Factors:
- Assess current telemedicine activities and needs among major healthcare organizations and rural providers in the state in the next five years
- Develop a telemedicine partnership with at least 10 healthcare organizations in the state over the next five years
- Establish at least 10 telemedicine activities with rural providers in the state (e.g., clinics, mental health clinics, etc.) over the next five years
- Coordinate telemedicine activities in at least 80% of rural hospitals in the state over the next five years
Objectives:
Objective 4.1: Coordinate the development of a statewide telemedicine network with rural health partners, including the OSU Telemedicine/Distance Learning Center.
Strategies:
- The Telemedicine Center will apply for telecommunication and telemedicine grants to support the statewide infrastructure (through federal, state, and private funders)
- Hire a full-time expert in the delivery of telemedicine services to fill the Professor of Telemedicine position
Goal Five. Recruit and retain rural healthcare workers.
Critical Success Factors:
- Collaborate with OKAHEC and the Division of Rural Health to support 60 community-based training settings over the next five years
- Collaborate with OKAHEC and the Division of Rural Health to ensure that 75% of community-based training opportunities are in rural settings over the next five years
Objectives:
Objective 5.1: Coordinate the recruitment and retention of rural healthcare workers in collaboration with OKAHEC, Division of Rural Health, PMTC, and other rural health partners.
Strategies:
- Continue to participate in OKAHEC, Divisionv of Rural Health, and PMTC community-based training opportunities
Goal Six. Prepare and submit grants to fund rural health projects and research.
Critical Success Factors:
- Obtain grant funding for 3-6 rural health projects over the next five years
- Increase total grant funding by 50% over the next five years
- Obtain grant funding from at least one private foundation over the next five years
Objectives:
Objective 6.1: Pursue grant funding at the private and federal level.
Strategies:
- Discuss with Advisory Board the need/opportunity for collaborative rural health projects
- Improve relationships with federal funding agencies
- Research funding opportunities and match with identified needs
- Collaborate with public and private organizations on rural health projects in state
- Collaborate with other rural health research centers on rural health projects of national scope
Goal Seven. Increase the Center’s visibility and reputation.
Critical Success Factors:
- Faculty/Staff will be active members in at least 10 state and national health organizations and committees over the next five years
- Faculty/Staff will make presentations at a minimum of 25 state and national health organizations and committees over the next five years
- Be considered a rural resource for at least 10 state and national organizations within five years
- Become listed with at least 75% of rural counties’ city-county libraries across the state within five years
Objectives:
Objective 7.1: Encourage faculty/staff to participate in state and national health organizations and committees.
Strategies:
- Develop funding sources to pay for membership in organizations and committees and the travel associated with attending those meetings
- Communicate with state and national organizations to express our interest in membership
- Invite representatives from state and national organizations to join and speak at meetings hosted by the OSU Rural Health Center and its partners
- Evaluate schedules of faculty/staff to allot time for attending meetings at the state and national levels
Objective 7.2: Encourage faculty/staff to present at state and national health meetings and conferences.
Strategies:
- Provide state and national organizations with biographical sketches of OSU Rural Health Center faculty/staff and express an interest in being listed on their speaker bureaus
- Invite representatives from state and national organizations to join and speak at meetings hosted by the OSU Rural Health Center and its partners
- Evaluate schedules of faculty/staff to allot time for attending meetings at the state and national levels
- Utilize the college’s resources to make the best presentation when speaking at state and national health meetings and conferences
Objective 7.3: Become listed as a rural health resource with state and national referral sources.
Strategies:
- Review and assess referral sources with which the OSU Rural Health Center would like to become listed
- Contact identified referral sources and provide them with information regarding the resources available through the Center
Objective 7.4: Increase the Center’s visibility as a resource for rural Oklahoma.
Strategies:
- Improve website functionality and aesthetics
- Conduct display booths at state and national rural health meetings
- Engage in public relations/marketing efforts
- Produce an electronic newsletter for the Center’s constituents (available via e-mail or on the Center’s website)
- Solicit membership for a distribution list for the Center’s newsletter
- Maintain regular contact with the Center’s Advisory Board
- Plan monthly meetings to discuss improving the Center’s visibility
Goal Eight. Act as a resource for rural citizens.
Critical Success Factors:
- In conjunction with SORH, update website with ongoing events at least monthly
- In conjunction with SORH, update website links to local, state, and national resources at least quarterly
- Increase the number of telemedicine encounters in rural Oklahoma by 100% over the next five years
Objective 8.1: Provide rural citizens with health information in the state.
Strategies:
- Develop a comprehensive website that will provide information on topics of interest in rural health for visitors
- Develop a schedule for regularly updating website
- Increase public relations/marketing efforts to inform constituents of the Center’s available resources
Objective 8.2: Coordinate telemedicine encounters between patients and providers in the state.
Strategies:
- Hire a full-time Professor of Telemedicine to direct telemedicine activities and coordinate telemedicine encounters
- Work with the Telemedicine Center and the SORH to establish telemedicine sites and providers
- Coordinate marketing efforts to promote telemedicine services and activities to rural communities
Goal Nine. Keep constituents up to date on OSU Rural Health Center activity.
Critical Success Factors:
- Convene monthly meetings among members of the Rural Health Management Team
- Members of the Rural Health Management Team must submit monthly reports detailing their activities
- Convene members of the Advisory Board at least annually
- Update website with ongoing events at least monthly
- Send OSU Rural Health Center updates via a rural health e-mail distribution list that includes a link to the Center’s internet site at least monthly
Objective 9.1: Keep Rural Health Management Team updated on developments at their respective organizations.
Strategies:
- Conduct regular meetings with Rural Health Management Team
- Ask members of the Rural Health Management Team to submit reports detailing their activities
Objective 9.2: Maintain regular contact with Advisory Board.
Strategies:
- Conduct regular meetings with Advisory Board and committees
- Reassess subcommittee assignments and membership on Advisory Board as needs change
- Annually reassess the interests and resources of Advisory Board members to avoid duplication of efforts and to help direct future activities
- Conduct an annual one-on-one meeting with each Advisory Board member/organization to discuss the specific projects they would like to pursue in conjunction with the Center
Objective 9.3: Provide general information on OSU Rural Health Center activity to parties unaffiliated with the Center.
Strategies:
- Maintain current information on the Center’s website
- In conjunction with the SORH, develop an e-mail distribution list for releasing rural health news briefs
- Publish a newsletter for constituents on an ongoing basis
- Develop a listserve for rural health providers in the state
